Response to Recommendations
Socio-Economic Value
19. Governments commission a study to evaluate the practical value of utilizing the ecological economics approach.
Canada supports this recommendation and believes that it has already made progress towards this goal. Under the Remedial Action Planning process, and more generally, Canada has done work looking at valuing the contribution of the environment and ecosystem services to human, economic and social well-being, for example, wildlife, wetlands, greenspaces, and groundwater. Other studies, noted in the Ninth Biennial report, have examined the economic benefits of restoration and protection clean-up activities carried out in several RAP areas, in particular, Hamilton Harbour, Collingwood Harbour, Nipigon Bay, Thunder Bay, St. Lawrence River-Cornwall, and Toronto. Canada has also provided expertise and advice to the Blue Ribbon Panel of Economists formed by the Northeast Midwest Institute to assist in the development of a guidebook for the evaluation of Great Lakes resources. There are also other similar works supported by Canada that are consistent with the purposes of this recommendation.
Overall, this work includes considerations of sustainability, and elements of ecological economics. There is more and similar work planned for the future.
|
